Surprise!
by Adele Elisabeth
Summary: Cordelia Chase and Angel get one hell of a surprise, in the form of four year old Genevieve Liam, from the future. Set back after Evil Vampy Willow made her appearance. Say, next day or so. Kinda AU. (COMPLETE)
1. Mommy? Daddy?

[Disclaimer: I do not own what Joss Whedon created. If I did, there'd be some changes around here, let me tell you. Evil, evil creature that Joss is...]

Author's Note:

Okay, I got this idea in class and spent my Maths period writing it in my notebook instead of studying (and since I have exams, like, the week after next, this is not a good thing). So, I hope you're all grateful for my extra time, and like the story. 

Surprise!

Chapter One: Mommy? Daddy?

Summary: Cordelia Chase and Angel get one hell of a surprise, in the form of four year old Genevieve Liam, from the future. Set back after Evil Vampy Willow made her appearance. Say, next day or so. Might get slightly AU in places.

by Adele Elisabeth

Cordelia groaned, and sat up, fumbling for her alarm clock. 

And then there was a blinding light, and the sound of a little girl, crying. 

Cordelia sat bolt upright, staring at the little girl on the end of her bed. Who hadn't been there like, five seconds ago. To her surprise, the girl looked a lot like her at that age.

"Mommy?" the little girl asked, then looked relieved. "Mommy, I'm so glad you're here. I tripped and landed in Aunt Willow's little picture on the floor and there was this light and it was scary, I promise I'll never try and peek when you're all working and everything, I promise--"

"Hold it right there, kiddo. Who are you?" Cordelia asked, more curious than afraid. For crying out loud, it was a girl who couldn't be near school-age, and, to top it off, thought that she, Cordelia Chase, was her mother.

"What do you mean, Mommy? Is this a new game? I don't like it." 

"No game. Seriously."

"Genevieve Liam, but you know that, you named me. Where are we?" 

"My room, my house, in Sunnydale. California." 

"Sunnydale?" Genevieve stared, dismayed. "But we aren't going to Sunnydale 'til next week!"

"Maybe we should go talk to Giles..." Cordelia sighed, getting out of bed. 

"Uncle Rupert," Genevieve gratefully latched onto something that made sense. "Uncle Rupert knows lots of things. He'll fix it." 

"Okay, whatever you say..."

"Giles! Giles!" Cordelia strode into the library, Genevieve on her hip. The little tyke was really tired, and by this time Cordelia had coaxed enough information out of her to believe her. And she kept getting this weird feeling of getting somebody else's memories, and remembering events that hadn't yet happened. She could remember being pregnant with Genevieve (and her twin brother, Owen), but that wouldn't happen for years. And whenever she tried to see who the father was...the scene shifted. 

"Yes, Cordelia?" Giles walked up to meet her, and stopped, staring. 

"Uncle Rupert!" Genevieve exclaimed, happily. "Why didn't Mommy remember me, Uncle Rupert? It's my birthday today and Mommy always has a surprise for me. I guess I must be in trouble for interrupting Aunt Willow's spell..."

"Spell?" Giles asked, bemused. 

"Let me talk to...umm, Uncle Rupert, 'kay Gen?" Cordelia set Genevieve down. "Go and wait for Mommy on one of those chairs at the table."

"Mmkay. When's Daddy coming?"

"I...I..." Cordelia stopped. This was beyond her.

Giles, who was a little faster on his feet, quickly put in, "He's busy just now, we don't know when he'll be back."

"Oh. Okay." Genevieve nodded, and ambled over to her chair. 

Then Giles turned to Cordelia. "What's going on?"

"I wake up, right, and there's this blinding light and a little girl in tears is on my bed. She starts calling me 'Mommy' and apologising for tripping in 'Aunt' Willow's spell, and promising she won't peek at work anymore. On the way over here, I got her to talk to me some more, and apparently she has a brother named Owen, and we all live in L.A. And...and I keep getting these weird memories I didn't have before, of stuff that hasn't happened, or hasn't happened yet. Of getting married, and of being pregnant with Genevieve and Owen, and of attending -your- wedding, to that Anya girl." Cordelia rambled on, still confused. "And it's weird, because...because I believe her, I do. She must be like...from the future?"

"A reasonable theory." Giles nodded, thoughtfully. "Memories of the future?"

"Yeah. So I went along with what Gen said and made like I remembered it all and it was just a bit of a misunderstanding. Only now, now I do remember stuff. I just don't know who it is I'm married to. Will be married to. It'd be kind of helpful." 

Angel came out of the depths of the bookshelves, holding a pile of books. He'd been researching the gypsy curse.

"Daddy!" Genevieve exclaimed. 

"No. Way." Cordelia stated.

Angel looked confused, and Giles mildly stunned. 

"Angel? Come into my office, thank you, I'll summarise what Cordelia was saying to me. I think you should hear it. Cordelia...just..."

"View it as parenting practice. Gotcha." Cordelia flashed him her 100-megawatt smile and headed over to Genevieve, who was looking after Angel with a confused look on her face. 

"...and from Genevieve's reaction to you--"

"You think I must be her father. In the future." Angel finished. 

Giles nodded. "It's not exactly something I'm sure of, mind you, but from what Cordelia tells me, it seems reasonable."

"Cordelia. I marry Cordelia Chase and live in L.A in the future?" 

"Apparently."

"Am I the only one seeing a problem with this?" 

"Cordelia didn't seem very impressed with that idea, either." Giles admitted. "If her 'no way' was to be interpreted that way. She seems quite taken with Genevieve, though."

"I noticed that." 

"Surprisingly so. In any case, we shouldn't keep the poor child waiting too long. She doesn't understand what's happened to her. As far as she's concerned, she's in her own time. She keeps calling me Uncle Rupert." 

Angel shrugged, and walked out of the office, to find Cordelia sitting on the floor with Genevieve in her lap, telling her a story. "...and the princess--"

"Whose name was Cordy." 

"Whose name was Cordy," Cordelia agreed, "lived in a beautiful palace, in a land far, far away. She was the most beautiful princess in all the land--"

"And loved a handsome prince." 

"That's right, she did. What was the prince's name?" Cordelia spared Angel a glance, and a tentative half-smile. He just watched, and she shrugged. 

"Liam." Genevieve answered immediately. 

Angel narrowed his eyes at the little girl, who seemed to notice. She looked quickly at Cordelia. "Why is Daddy mad at me, Mommy?" 

"Daddy's not mad, he's just...he's upset about something else, and I'm sure he's really sorry that you think he's mad at you. Isn't he?" she prompted Angel, who nodded, resignedly. "On with the story. So, Princess Cordy loves a handsome prince named Prince Liam. What do you think happens next?"

"Princess Cordy thinks Prince Liam is in love with a different princess." Genevieve told her mother, very seriously, in the tones of someone who has heard this story before. Cordelia, on the other hand, looked lost, and was trying to get Genevieve to steer her in the right direction. 

"That's right, she does. What's the other princess's name?" 

"Princess Buffy." Genevieve replied, leaning her head on Cordelia's shoulder. "I like this story." 

"Me too. So, Princess Cordy thinks Prince Liam loves Princess Buffy. So...she's feeling pretty down about this, right?" Cordelia was starting to have some suspicions at this point. 

"Right. Prince Liam is her bestest friend, though, so she's not going to..." Genevieve faltered, but Cordelia picked up the thread.

"She's not going to risk losing him as a friend, so she doesn't tell him that she loves him. She pretends to hope that he and Princess Buffy will work things out?" 

"That's it! But Prince Liam--"

"Really loves Princess Cordy." Angel was starting to get into the spirit of things, sitting down with them. When he was much, much younger, he used to like telling stories to his younger sister. 

"Yeah," Cordelia nodded, trying to remember the vague future-memories she'd been getting. "But one day...one day Princess Cordy can't take it anymore." 

"She storms out of Prince Liam's palace, and goes home to her palace." Genevieve supplied. 

"And Prince Liam consults his best friend, Prince..." Now it was Angel's turn to falter.

Genevieve looked suspiciously at him, but put in anyway, "Prince Wesley. And Prince Wesley tells him how Princess Cordy must be feeling sort of like worried that maybe Prince Liam is only her friend because she's a princess, and if she wasn't a princess, he wouldn't want to be her friend anymore." 

"But Prince Liam knows he really needs his best friend," Angel continued, being led only by instinct, "So he goes to her palace."

"But Princess Cordy tells him to go away, because she doesn't want him to break her heart." Cordelia went on, smiling encouragingly at Angel. "She's been there before, and she doesn't want her heart to get trampled on again. And she knows she shouldn't have these sorts of feelings for her best friend, who loved somebody else."

"But Prince Liam is starting to realise that maybe he loves Princess Cordy more than just a friend, that he needs her." Angel said, blinking as he was accosted by future-memories. 

"And then...he tells her that he loves her." Genevieve grinned triumphantly. 

"And they live happily ever after?" Cordelia queried, softly. That story sounded too good to be true. 

"Well...sort of bumpily ever after." Genevieve conceded. "You told it differently this time, but it's still my favorite-est story in the whole wide world." 

"Yeah." Cordelia fell silent, just staring off into space, lost in her own thoughts. That story sounded a lot like the stories she used to tell herself when she was little, but not quite. In her story, she was Princess Cordy, and there was a handsome Prince Charming who swept her off her feet and carried her off to his palace in the sky. She had a wistful smile on her face as she thought of this. 

"Mommy?" Genevieve's voice intruded her make-believe world. "Mommy, can we get something to eat? I'm hungry."

Maternal instincts, which had been making themselves known, kicked in. "When did you last eat?" Cordelia asked, concerned. 

"Well...Auntie Anya gave me some biscuits a little before the spell, and I had some of Uncle Rupert's tea..." Genevieve hesitated.

"That was hours ago!" Cordelia exclaimed, standing up. "You should have said something, sweetie." She paused. "I think we should tell you something, Genevieve. Lying's not my style."

"Mommy...?"

"I'm not your mommy, not yet, anyway. Genevieve, this, this present is my present, but it's not yours. You're not born yet back here. You're from the future, honey, and I'm sure I must be -- the future me -- really worried about you. Your daddy, too." 

Giles had been in the room for some time, and whatever he and Angel had been expecting Cordelia to say, that wasn't it. 

But Genevieve took it remarkably well. "I wondered why everyone was acting so strange. This must be because of that spell, right?" 

"That's right." Giles told her, moving forward. 

"And we're going to do everything we can to send you back your own time, so that your parents don't have to worry. Not that I wouldn't love for you to stay--"

Now that surprised Giles. 

"--but because I know the future-me must really miss you, because she -- I -- loves you so much." 

Genevieve nodded. 

"In the meantime, I'll bet you didn't pack for your trip, so after we get lunch, we'll hit the mall. Maybe you can even take your new clothes home with you when Uncle Rupert--" here she gave Giles an impish grin, a surprisingly honest expression, "--sends you back."

Genevieve paused, looking at Angel. "Does this mean you and Daddy aren't...aren't living together, or anything?"

"Angel's with Buffy." Cordelia hoped she didn't sound too...curt? Jealous? Not that she was jealous, or anything, because she wasn't, but because...well, happy couples right now were not high on her list of favorite things. In fact, they didn't even make the list. Xander Harris...her fists clenched involuntarily. "So, while we're shopping, he's going to go and explain to her about you." 

"I am?" Angel looked at her, shock evident. 

"I sure aren't." Cordelia stated coolly. "In any case, Genevieve, we are officially cutting class. Giles, can you tell Snyder I have some weird disease or my aunt died or something? I need an excuse to get out of school for as long as necessary. I mean, I'll drop by as many classes as I can, if I can find trustworthy babysitters, but seriously, I'm going to be a whole lot more relaxed if I've got Gen with me."

Giles was just as startled as Angel by Cordelia's sudden take-charge attitude. Mostly she just sat around and sniped, but now...this was a whole new side to Cordelia Chase. Giles suspected he'd best enjoy it while it lasted, as she only ever showed PublicCordy to anyone. Under normal (for the Hellmouth) circumstances.

Cordelia swept out of the library, taking Genevieve with her.

"Better go talk to Buffy..." Angel muttered weakly. 

I, Cordelia Chase, am a Mom. A good mom, too, if Genevieve's to be believed. 

It was a scary thought. 

Not that I couldn't be a good mom, or anything. 

Cordelia had always had this secret fear that if she ever had children, she'd be like her own mother -- bad at it. Her parents were never there, and when they were, they didn't give a damn about her. She always had the impression she had been an accident, and one they only kept because they had no other reasonable option. Cordelia wrapped herself up in being perfect on the outside, because on the inside...

Well, it didn't bear thinking about. 

"Mommy?" Genevieve piped up. Cordelia had had a maid search out her old car-seat from when she was Genevieve's age, and it had worn remarkably well. Cordelia had put Genevieve in the backseat, as she'd read somewhere it was safer for children to be in the back. 

"Yes, hon?" her eyes never left the road.

"Can we get an ice-cream after lunch?"

Cordelia gave a little laugh. She'd been expecting a more meaningful question, to be honest, but this was fine. "Maybe. How about we eat lunch, then go shopping, and then we can get an ice-cream and go to the park?"

"You have the best ideas, Mommy." 

"You bet I do, kiddo."

"Where is she?" Buffy clenched her fists. Cordelia Chase steals her man? Not bloody likely!

"She and Genevieve went out for lunch and shopping." Angel replied, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "It gave me a bit of turn, Buffy, but please, stop looking so betrayed. I'm in love with you, Buffy Summers, not Cordelia Chase." 

"For now."

"No, for as long as y-we live."

"So, you married her after I died?"

"Maybe I did." Angel flared, suddenly. Buffy had been acting like a spoiled little brat who'd just been told to share ever since he tried to talk to her about this, and it wasn't fair. Couldn't she see that this was hard for him, too? He didn't ask for any of this. And right now, he didn't need Buffy contributing to it. 

Buffy recoiled as if he'd struck her. "How can you say that? How dare you?"

"Buffy...I'm tired. This is not my fault. I haven't done anything wrong. You're acting as though I've done something awful behind your back, and it's not fair. I didn't ask for this, and neither did Cordelia." He sighed again, with unneeded breath. "You're behaving as if this is some personal insult, Buffy."

Buffy stared at him, then deflated somewhat. "You're right, of course you're right. I'm sorry, Angel, you just threw me for a loop with this."

He gave a faintly bitter laugh. "Guess how I feel." 

Buffy cuddled into his arms. "It'll be okay."

Cordelia would have given anything for someone to say that to her, right then. She was at the park with Genevieve, eating ice-cream (well, Cordelia opted for a low-fat frozen yoghurt, but still). She was starting to get really worried -- what if something went wrong? What if she was terrible as a parent and something happened to Genevieve and it was all her fault? This was all just too much for her...

No. Cordelia Chase held her head up high and got by. Nothing would bring her down, nothing. This was her chance to prove that she could do something right, and feel what it was like to be in a family, to be loved. 

Cordelia had met Joyce Summers. She'd bet good money Buffy didn't realise what a treasure her mother was. 

It was nearly quarter to four when Cordelia realised how long they'd been out. "Gen, hon, we're going to go and check in with Giles, and then we should probably get home."

"Okay." Genevieve nodded. Cordelia took her hand, and they made their way back to the car.

Cordelia dialed Giles's home-number on her cellphone, though she couldn't be sure he'd be there. 

"Giles?" she tried not to sound too relieved that she'd gotten him when the phone was picked up. In the back, Genevieve was dozing.

"No, this is Xander." 

Cordelia froze. "Put Giles on." She said, icily. 

"I heard about you and Angel having a dau--"

"I said, put Giles on. Now." Cordelia's tone could have frozen the ocean. 

Xander, evidently giving up, said a faint, "Sure," and then the phone was handed off. She waited, not too patiently, as she drove, cellphone between her ear and shoulder. 

"Cordelia?" it was Angel. "I'm sorry, Giles is sort of busy at the moment." 

"Let me guess, cryBuffy had some sort of crisis, or he's in the toilet." 

There was uncomfortable silence. "Er...the second one."

Cordelia wanted to laugh. She really did, bizarrely enough. But she didn't. "Okay. I was just calling to check in and see if I could drop by before I took Genevieve home. And...and I thought we should probably work something out."

There was another of those silences. "What do you mean?" Angel said, slowly. 

Realisation dawned. "Not like that, dork. I meant...Genevieve's not just my daughter. Don't you want to get to know her too? I thought maybe you could come over and...y'know, hang out with her a bit." She frowned. "Though...that wouldn't really work, because when you're out, she'll be asleep, and when she's out, if you went out, you'd be Kentucky Fried Vamp. I could...I could bring her over to your apartment, and you could have her for an hour or two." 

Angel was, to be frank, astonished. At first he thought she meant work something out...like, making the two of them an 'us', and then he thought she meant she wanted to make him take care of Genevieve, but she was being...thoughtful. Considerate. 

"I mean, Genevieve needs a father just as much as she needs a mother, and we don't know how long she'll be here. Look, I'm just about at Giles' place, we can discuss it when I get there. Ciao." 

And before he could reply, she'd hit 'end'.

"Mommy?" a half-asleep Genevieve yawned. 

"Yup?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Just about, just about."

"I think she'll make a really good mother." Angel said quietly, as Xander made yet another crack about Cordelia and parenting not mixing. 

"How would you know?" Xander challenged.

"How would you?" Angel countered, unsure of why he was defending the brunette. "Have you seen her with Genevieve? Have you seen the way she is with her, or the way she's been acting?"

"No, but I know Cordelia." 

"Maybe you don't. Maybe you just know what she lets you see." 

"Cordelia--"

"--is here. Hello, Xander." Cordelia greeted him coldly, moving into the living room. "Angel...umm, okay, now this is going to sound weird, but are you a good cook, or has that not happened yet? And if you are, can you teach me? Genevieve said you always make her the best eggs for breakfast and I wanted to make her some myself. Only I've never actually been allowed in the kitchen. I can make coffee and tea, that's about it." 

Startled by this latest development (though Angel was fast learning that Cordelia was full of surprises), Angel just nodded. "Yeah...sure."

"Speaking of," Cordelia moved back into the hallway, and came back with Genevieve, who had been using the bathroom. "This is--"

"I know them all, Mommy, remember? I told you. They just don't know me yet." Genevieve reminded her. 

Xander, Buffy and Willow waited for the nasty retort that would leave the little girl in tears.

It never came. 

"Sorry, sweetie, I'm just all tired out from our long day. Must be not thinking right." Cordelia smiled down at her. "Well...guys, this is Genevieve Angelica Liam."

"Hi." Willow smiled at the little girl, who offered her one in return. 

"Yeah. Hi." Xander mumbled. 

Buffy just nodded curtly. 

Genevieve looked worriedly up at her mother and then went and climbed into Angel's lap, her big brown eyes shining with trust and an innate belief that Daddy Would Make Everything Better. 

Angel couldn't help but smile down at her. Cordelia slid into the chair next to him, looking uncomfortable, but comfortable at the same time. This was as close to family as she would get for many years, and she knew it. 

"Angel...? We going to finish our conversation?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Right, yes, we are." Angel set Genevieve down, and stood up. "Er...Willow? Could you watch Genevieve while Cordelia and I talk?" 

Cordelia silently approved of his choice. Willow looked quickly at her, and there was a miniscule nod. Feeling oddly relieved, Willow held out her hands. "We could see if Giles has some paper and pencils? Do you like to draw?" 

Buffy and Xander both looked suspiciously at Angel and Cordelia as they left the room. 

"You're right," Angel said, as soon as they were in the kitchen (Giles had met them coming the other way, and gave them both their drinks (a coffee for Cordelia, pig's blood for Angel), and went out to the living room). 

"About?" she asked, sipping her coffee. 

"About how I should spend some time with Genevieve. She's my responsibility as well."

"No child wants to be thought of as a responsibility. If you're only doing if because you feel responsible, don't bother." Cordelia snapped, then cursed silently. That had been too close to the bone. 

"That's not what I meant," Angel objected, and ran a hand through his hand. "I do want to get to know Genevieve. I didn't mean it to sound that way."

Her eyes softened, but her stance was still defensive. "I..." She stopped, afraid of breaking down. This was all just too much, too soon. 

"Are you all right?"

Looking up, Cordelia was surprised to see that there was concern in Angel's eyes, and she heard it in his tone, too. All these thoughts of family had highlighted her own family's short-comings. It was hard to think about. "I'm fine," she lied quickly, hoping it was convincing. 

"You don't believe that any more than I do." Angel stated. When she wasn't being 'Cordy Chase, Bitch-Queen of Sunnydale', and wasn't keeping her emotions in check, they showed easily on her face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She almost laughed at that. "Angel...number one, Buffy already wants my blood, and number two, you're not exactly Mr New-Age Sensitive Guy." 

"Maybe I'm not--"

"You're definitely not."

Ignoring her interruption, he continued, "--but you can still talk to me." 

After a long, searching look at his face, she sighed, and gave in. "Okay." She took a deep breath, before saying, "Look, my family's not like Buffy's. Sure, I've got both my parents, but they don't give a damn about me. Joyce Summers really loves her daughter, whereas my parents just give me money and ignore me. Daddy's never home, and Mom's never sober. This is like...this is my chance to feel what it's like to be in a family. To be loved. Genevieve loves me...I feel like if I have to have you in the picture too much, it'll ruin it. Because you don't love me. You don't fit into my perfect scenario. While it was just me and Genevieve today, I could pretend like the father was just...out of the picture. And it was great, and I loved it. But I don't want Buffy ruining my perfect scenario by pushing her way in because she doesn't want you left alone with me because she thinks I'm going to steal you, using Genevieve as bait or something. My family's not perfect, hell, it's barely a family. I don't want anything to spoil this, because it'll be years until it's a reality. This is all I get until then." Tears stung her eyes, and Angel wasn't sure what to do. So he did the first thing he thought of -- pulled her into his arms and muttered reassuring nothings. 

They were like that a long time, before Cordelia went to the bathroom to clean herself up (tears left mascara tracks down her cheeks). When she came back, she was all business. "So...I'll bring her by your apartment sometime?"

"Right." He nodded. 

"I'll get your phone-number, and call you first." She said, before heading out into the living room.

Bemused, Angel followed her.

***

Author's Note:

Okay, this was fun to write. I should have another chapter along soon. 

No witty little bit on the end of the Author's Note, sigh...


	2. TickleFights and New Friends

[Disclaimer: I do not own anything created by the [very evil] Joss Whedon]

Author's Note:

Well, since I don't have a whole lot to say, let's just get straight into the story.

Surprise!

Chapter Two: Tickle-Fights and New Friends

by Adele Elisabeth

Just as she was walking in the living room, Cordelia swayed, and then fainted dead away. Angel, being behind her, caught her quickly, and carried her into the room. Xander scooted off the sofa so he could put her down.

"Okay, raise your hand if you're as confused as me." Xander put his hand up. 

Willow and Buffy raised their hands.

Giles looked at Cordelia, concern evident, then to Angel. But before he could ask the question so obviously on his lips, Angel said quietly, "I don't know why she fainted." 

Genevieve hurried over to Cordelia's side, and looked up at Angel and Giles. "She's going to wake up soon, right? Right?"

"Yes, yes of course," Giles told Genevieve comfortingly. "Why don't you go back and draw some more pretty pictures with Willow, and you can give them to your mother when she wakes up." 

After a few moments of thought, Genevieve nodded, somewhat reluctantly, and went back to sit next to Willow on the floor with the pencils and paper. 

After about an hour and a half of not succeeding in waking Cordelia, she came around all by herself. Angel had carried her to Giles' spare room, as they thought it best to keep their efforts out of Genevieve's sight, so as not to worry her. 

"...urgh, my head..." Sitting up, Cordelia held aforementioned head and groaned. 

"You're awake," Giles said with more than a little surprise. 

"Thanks for repeating the obvious. I thought that was Xander's job."

"Cordelia," this was said in a slightly warning tone, and Cordelia rolled her eyes. 

"So...aren't you going to ask me why I was dozing? It's a doozy of a story." 

Giles thought of all the things he could say to that, and decided against them. "All right, why were you 'dozing'?" 

"Because my future self wanted to have a chat with me."

Angel, who had been standing in the doorway, raised an eyebrow at this.

"Seriously, it was me. She -- I -- talked to me for a bit, and there's a few things I have to say to you all, but mostly she was just letting me know that Genevieve really was...mine? Ours? Whatever. I got the feeling she was really worried about her -- understandable -- so I told her we were taking good care of her and trying to find a way to get her home. She said they're doing the exact same thing in their time. She told me that Willow's apologised about a thousand times, but it's not her fault. We had a really good talk, and I asked her about Angel's cooking -- y'know, because of how Genevieve was raving about what a fabulous cook her daddy is, and I was curious. She...I, I guess, confirmed his 'fabulous cook' status." Cordelia's tone turned faintly wistful. "She sounded really happy when she was talking about her family. My future family." 

"Did she -- you -- say anything important we should know about?" Giles prompted. 

"Well...she said that Wesley's doing the researching, and they're pretty sure they'll have a way to get Genevieve back there soon. Could be a week or so, though. Maybe more. Speaking of Wesley, where is he?" 

"Food poisoning, he's not well at the moment." Giles replied distractedly. 

Angel decided to voice the question he had been pondering. "Did...did my future self say anything?"

Cordelia gave him an almost impish look. "Yeah, he was there. I -- the future me -- said he insisted on coming. I thought it was sweet. He's -- you, sort of -- really worried about Genevieve, but I think I put them at their ease. As much as possible, anyway. Now that I'm all awake and everything, can I take Genevieve home? She'll be wanting some dinner soon. Don't worry about my parents being all surprised and stuff, Daddy's on a business trip and Mom's holidaying." She got off the bed, steadied herself, and then walked out without another word.

"Gen, honey, we're going home." Cordelia told her, picking up both her own coat and Genevieve's. After shrugging her's on, she held out Genevieve's, and helped her put it on. Then she looked at the Scoobies, who were watching her intently. "Oh...umm, that whole damsel in distress fainting? So not my fault. Well, technically it is, but it was the future me. Wanted to talk to me. Magic? Totally cool. She had this whole spiel to tell you guys, but she figured this one quote would say what she wanted you to know." She paused, trying to remember it. "Right, got it. 'Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow, don't walk behind me, I might not lead, just walk beside me, and be my friend.' Hope you all understand what she means, because I'm only half-sure I do. Well...later." 

"Bye Aunt Willow, Uncle Xander, Aunt Buffy, Uncle Rupert, Daddy." Genevieve beamed at them, and then looked up at Cordelia. "Can we get an ice-cream on the way home?" 

Turning to leave, and on her way out the door, Cordelia could be heard laughing lightly, and replying, "You already had an ice-cream today. But if you're really good, we might have some desert after dinner. What do you feel like?"

"Pizza!"

"We better get going too," Willow said finally. The change in Cordelia was...well, bizarrre. Evidently Genevieve was a great influence on her.

"Yeah," Xander agreed, standing up, then he asked, "Did we really just see that? I mean...who was she and what has she done with Cordelia Chase?"

"And what was with that quote?" Buffy muttered. "Angel?" she asked, raising her voice. "What were you and Cordelia talking about?"

Angel shifted uncomfortably before replying, "Just about Genevieve. We agreed that she's not just got the one parent, so Cordelia'll call me tomorrow and bring Genevieve around for a couple of hours."

Buffy was pretty sure Angel wasn't telling her everything, but she shrugged it off. "Okay. I'm...I'm going home. Xander, Willow? I'll walk you guys."

She didn't look at Angel as she left.

The Future! Oooowowooooo, spooky noises and stuff.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Angel asked Cordelia, worry evident in his voice. Sometimes he was just too easy to read.

"Angel...I know you're worried, so am I. But we have to be positive. Past-me and Past-you'll take care of Genevieve, I told me that. The past-me told me that, I mean. She -- I -- seemed pretty in control of the situation when I talked to her. Relax. Wesley and everyone are on the research as we speak. It'll be okay. They'll find a spell and we'll go get her."

"If you're certain..."

"I am."

And back to the past.

"Hey, you've reached Cordelia Chase, I can't talk to you just now but if you leave your name and number after the tone I'll catch up with you ASAP. BEEEEEEP."

"Cordelia? This is Angel. I was just calling to check up on you and Genevieve. And...er...you can bring her over here around lunchtime, if that's okay with you. Yeah. Um. Bye."

Cordelia and Genevieve sat in Cordelia's lounge, eating pizza and watching videos. 

"This is my new favorite movie in the whole wide world." Genevieve confided. They were watching The Little Princess, and had just finished watching The Wizard Of Oz.

"It's pretty good," Cordelia agreed, reaching for another slice of pizza. Okay, so it was fattening. She'd work out extra tomorrow or something. 

"Can we have ice-cream after we've finished our pizza?" Genevieve asked hopefully. Her mommy wasn't the same back now, but she was still the bestest mommy in the whole entire world. And she'd given her lots of treats today. Maybe she could get another one. She'd been extra good.

"Well...we might have some apple pie somewhere, and maybe even some vanilla ice-cream..." Cordelia mock-pondered it. "I guess we can have some for desert." 

"Did the phone ring before?" Genevieve had heard it, she was sure, but for some reason, her mommy didn't go and answer it. She didn't know why, but something had flickered in her eyes. Sadness? No. Her mommy wasn't ever sad. She had so much to be happy for. Why would she be sad? It was silly. 

"Yeah, it did," Cordelia said softly. "Doesn't matter. I'll check the messages when I put you to bed, okay?"

When they'd gotten home, Cordelia had some servants move a single bed from one of the guest-rooms into her room, for Genevieve. She'd had an explanation for Genevieve all prepared in her mind, but they asked no questions.

Did nobody care about what she did around here? It didn't matter. For just a little while...she had Genevieve.

And someday, she'd have Angel too. And Owen, Genevieve's twin.

A family of her own.

Someday.

'Someday' seemed far, far away right then, but Genevieve's smiling face made it closer. 

Family. 

"Angel."

"Umm...hi, it's Cordelia, I'm sorry about not picking up the phone before, me and Gen were watching a movie and I...I just got distracted." It was a lie, and she didn't think he believed it any more than she did. She hadn't wanted anything to intrude into the little moment of family normalcy. "So...lunchtime?"

"Yeah. Buffy's dropping by in the morning--"

No way was WonderBitch spending time with Cordelia's daughter. No goddamn way. "Then we'll reschedule. Gen can come over the day after."

There was a surprised silence from Angel's end of the phone. He hadn't expected Cordelia to react like that. "I just thought..." He trailed off. He didn't know what he'd thought, not really.

"Newsflash. Genevieve's not Buffy's. She's mine." Beat. "And yours. But I do not want my daughter spending quality family time with you and Buffy. Buffy has a family. She's not moving in on mine." Cordelia bit out. 

Angel took a deep, unneeded breath, and exhaled slowly. Cordelia's fuming silence was hard to bear, and he felt obliged to fill it. "Okay. I'll tell Buffy to come the day after."

It was Cordelia's turn to be surprised. "You'd...you'd do that?" 

"Yes, I would. And if you want, you can stay too. Not just drop Genevieve off and then pick her up later, I mean. It could be...family bonding?" Now where in the hell had that come from? 

Cordelia didn't answer for a long time. But when she did, Angel knew his idea had cheered her. At least a little. "That sounds like fun. Genevieve's asleep, I'll tell her in the morning. Giles called before. He said he had one of those weird dreamy things too. This time it was my future self and Wesley's future self. They're working on a spell so they can come pick up Genevieve themselves. He said he got the impression I didn't fully trust him to send her back in one piece." 

"He told me about that earlier." 

Silence again. This time Cordelia filled it. "Well...I better let you go. Probably want to get in some quality Buffy time before she gets kicked out of your house for the Chases." She didn't mean it to sound so nasty, but it didn't exactly come out well.

Was that jealousy he heard in her voice? Silently convincing himself that he was imagining it, he replied quietly, "Goodnight, Cordelia."

"Goodnight, Angel."

She hung up first. Fast.

Angel stared at the phone for some time after that.

"Mommy..." Genevieve groaned. "I don't wanna get up."

"Well, that's just tough, sweetie. I overslept already, and it's 11! We've got to be at your daddy's apartment in an hour."

That got the little tyke moving. "Okay, okay, I'm moving, I'm moving."

"We can grab a bite to eat on the way over there, and maybe he'll even have something. I mean...Buffy must visit sometimes, and she eats, even if he doesn't." Cordelia said cheerfully as she helped Genevieve get dressed in the clothes she'd already selected. She was already dressed, in a white sundress and white strappy sandals, her hair in a plait and a white cardigan tied around her waist. It was a warm day. Genevieve's outfit matched hers, she'd thought it was a cute idea.

"Can we have pizza?" Genevieve inquired as Cordelia buckled her sandals for her. 

"No, sweetie. We had pizza for dinner last night. Besides, pizza is not the meal you have first."

Somehow Genevieve had been expecting that.

So far, the 'family bonding' afternoon was going brilliantly. Currently they were playing hide and seek, and it was Genevieve's turn to seek. 

Angel wasn't exactly well-hidden behind the sofa, but the ever-clever Cordelia was hiding in the bathroom. 

"I found you, Mommy!" Genevieve grinned. 

"Awww, how'd you guess?" Cordelia pouted as she came out from behind the shower-curtain. 

Leading her back to the lounge, Genevieve said triumphantly, "You always hide in weird places, Mommy. Daddy says it's one of your quirks." 

"I do, do I?" Angel asked, raising an eyebrow. "What other quirks has your mommy got?"

Cordelia flashed him a vaguely annoyed but more amused glance, which he ignored.

Genevieve was quite happy to cheerfully fill him in. "Well...she absolutely adores Big Red gum, and has a secret stash of it hidden in her sock-drawer, which she thinks you don't know about, but you really do. We sneaked some one day, you and me. The gum is next to the romance novels she thinks we don't know about." 

Cordelia had suddenly found her French-tipped fingernails fascinating. 

Angel grinned. "Anything else?"

"I know about your quirks, too, Daddy. Like how you watch Mommy when she's sleeping, or when you think nobody's looking at you. You just watch her...like she's the most wonderful angel in all of Heaven. Then there's how you get really grumpy when she borrows your hair-gel, and she rolls her eyes and tells you that all good little boys learn how to share. And how you always make us bacon and eggs for breakfast on a Saturday, and pancakes or French toast on a Sunday." Genevieve grinned. "And Mommy says you're a hopeless romantic, really." 

Angel was getting slightly uncomfortable, now. But he hid it well.

"And...you're ticklish!" Genevieve finished.

Cordelia raised her eyebrow, and a faint smile quirked her lips. "Is that so...Gen?" 

Two generations of Chase women regarded him innocently, and Angel suddenly had this strange feeling...

"Tickle-fest!" Cordelia yelled, and she and Genevieve pounced.

Angel was reduced to helpless laughter as they wrestled him to the ground, tickling mercilessly. Of course, the tables were turned when Angel discovered that he wasn't the only one ticklish...

"Truce, truce!" Cordelia breathed between giggles, but Angel and Genevieve were relentless...

"Angel?"

Three dark-haired heads swivelled to the blonde in the doorway.

Buffy.

Staring at Cordelia with undisguised loathing. 

"I was going to surprise you." Buffy mumbled. Cordelia was seated on the couch, glaring at her. Genevieve had been sent into the bedroom with paper and pencils to draw some more pretty pictures for her parents. 

"I told you I was having Genevieve for the afternoon." Angel said, exasperated. They'd agreed she would come over the next day, and maybe he'd see her that night, on patrol. Why couldn't Buffy have just stuck to that?

"I thought I could get to know her too..."

"Look, Angel," Cordelia cut in, "You and your girlfriend can deal with your issues, but me and Genevieve are gone. I'll call later, okay?" Before he could respond, she was off the couch and going to get Genevieve.

"Buffy, I told you to come over tomorrow instead." Angel said, quietly, after Cordelia had left and Genevieve had hugged him goodbye, with a suspicious look cast at Buffy.

"I thought we could all bond and everything..." Buffy replied, lifting her chin defiantly. "How was I supposed to know that she was here too?"

"'She' is Genevieve's mother and has a right to say who she wants her daughter spending time with, Buffy. You and she don't get along, everybody knows that. I love you, Buffy, but I love Genevieve too, now. And I told you Cordelia didn't want Genevieve spending time with you, and I thought you could understand that. Would you want your daughter spending time with her?"

Somewhat sulkily, she answered, "No."

"So you shouldn't have gone behind her back like this." Angel felt like a father lecturing his errant child, and it wasn't a good feeling, not for someone who was supposed to be in love with this girl. Woman. Young woman. 

"Whatever. What was with all of you, anyway?" she challenged. "You looked pretty lovey-dovey when I got here. Maybe you're cheating on me with her already!"

He stared at her, stunned. "How can you say that?"

"Screw this. I'm out of here." Buffy snapped, standing. She turned on her heel and stormed out of his apartment, leaving Angel gaping at the empty space she had just been in.

"This whole thing is turning my life upside down," Cordelia whispered, trying not to let herself get upset as she watched Genevieve playing in the sandbox at the park. 

"Cordelia?"

It was Willow. Oh, great. One of the Slayerettes come to hassle her.

"What do you want?" she snapped, but it lacked her usual edge. 

Willow sat down next to her on the bench. "I thought maybe you might need a friend."

Cordelia stared incredulously at her. "You're trying to be my friend, now? Is this some kind of weird elaborate set up with Buffy behind it?"

Willow actually looked shocked that Cordelia would suspect her of something like that. "No, I just thought you could use a friend. If you don't want--"

"I'm sorry, Willow. I'm just really on edge just now." Cordelia half-whispered it. 

That stopped the red-head in her tracks. She'd been going to stand up, but she sat back down. "Do you want to talk to me about it?" she offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." Okay, Willow wasn't really all that sure. Cordelia was, after all, the bitchy cheerleader and bane of her school-years. "You need to talk, I'm good at listening."

"You hate me, Willow, all of you. It's not like you try to hide it. I don't like you all that much either, to be honest, and I don't hide it. So why do you suddenly give a damn?"

"I honestly don't know."

"This your good deed for the day? I'm not a pet project, Rosenburg."

"If you don't want to talk to me, just say it." Willow said finally. "But you need to talk to somebody."

"Maybe I'll talk to Giles."

Whatever Willow had been expecting, that wasn't it.

Cordelia went on, unaware of Willow's thoughts, "Need a ride? Me and Genevieve are going to hit the mall. You could come if you want. My treat."

After a moment's hesitation, Willow nodded. "Sure."

Maybe it wouldn't be instant, but Cordelia was hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could make a good friend here. A real friend.

***

Author's Note:

Thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter! I hope you like this one too!


	3. Not Just A Cheerleader

[Disclaimer: I do not own what Joss created. If I did...well, wouldn't that be something.]

Author's Note:

I don't actually have anything interesting to say here, so I'll just get straight into the story part.

Surprise!

Chapter Three: Not Just A Cheerleader

by Adele Elisabeth

"Hi, is that Cordelia?"

"Speaking." 

"Umm...this is Buffy, I was just wondering if I could catch up with you today? And...talk."

"You want to talk to me? You're talking to me right now. I'm sorry, I've got to go, the movie's going to start in a couple of minutes. If you see Angel, would you tell him I need to talk to him? Thanks."

Before Buffy could reply, Cordelia had already ended the call.

"Mommy? Who was that?" Genevieve asked, as she and Willow came back to the table, bearing strawberry frozen-yoghurts and piles of candy. 

"That was Buffy, sweetie." Cordelia replied, taking a frozen-yoghurt. 

Willow sat down, looking at the bags surrounding the table, bags of things Cordelia had insisted on buying for her. Cordelia was 'shop til you drop' personified, and they had masses of purchases. In the last couple of hours, Cordelia Chase had been more human than Willow had ever known her to be. It was...weird. Particularly considering what Willow and Xander had...oooh, boy, let's not go there...

"Cordelia?" she asked tentatively. 

"Yuh-huh?" 

"Why are you doing this?" 

Cordelia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Genevieve, honey, you wanna go over and play in the little playground for a minute?" 

Genevieve eyed them for a minute, then shrugged, and headed to the playground. It wasn't so far away that Cordelia couldn't see her, after all. 

Once Genevieve was out of earshot, Cordelia began. "I hated you, Willow, I really did. Not really because you 'stole' Xander, because in a way, you already had him. There was always somebody else -- if not you, then Buffy. You have a way bigger hold on his heart than I ever could, and that's why I was so mad. Because I finally had to face up to the fact that I really was the second-choice, and normally, that would be the only reason for me getting upset. But I really cared about Xander, and knowing that he didn't feel the same way...well, that hurt way more than the whole getting a big metal bar through my stomach. I've always been jealous of you guys, to tell you the honest truth. And then you had one more thing I really wanted, and it wasn't fair." 

Willow didn't know what to say, so she motioned for Cordelia to go on, sure that she wasn't finished. 

"But now, now it's like...I get to be the princess, y'know? I get the fairy-tale ending, with a happy family and a handsome prince. It's a long way off, but it's there, and I just thought...what's the point in hating you? We could get on with our lives, and maybe even make friends. I don't have any real friends, but maybe...you could be a good friend, and I'm...I like to think I'm nice when I let people get to know me." 

"I didn't know that you felt that way." Willow murmured.

"Well...now you do. Maybe buying you lots of stuff wasn't the best way to win you over, but it's all I got. I get that you're not one to follow me around and tell me how wonderful I am just because I'm rich, and if you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I think that I'd like for us to be friends, Cordelia." Willow said, finally. "And...if you need a babysitter some time? For Genevieve, I mean. I'd be happy to." 

Cordelia grinned at her. "I keep doing these whole big emotional speeches lately. You think I'm coming down with something?"

"Whatever it is, it's good, Cordelia."

"Call me Cordy." 

"Hello?"

"Giles?"

"Yes -- Cordelia?"

"The one and only. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Seriously. Have you ever been in love? I know it's a weird question -- especially coming from me -- but I really want to know. If I hear what it's like from somebody who's been there, maybe I'll be able to work some stuff out." 

"What sort of 'stuff'?"

"I asked you first." 

"Yes, you did. It's a rather personal question, don't you think?"

"I'm not exactly the queen of tact, here. If you don't want to answer, that's okay. I just didn't want to have to ask Buffy or Angel what it's like. They're not exactly normal, if you get what I mean."

"And I am?" Giles had to admit it, he was slightly amused by that idea.

"Well...not exactly, I guess, but you're way closer to it than a Slayer and a vampire with a soul."

"You may have a point there."

"Of course I do. So, are you going to answer my question?"

"Yes, I have."

"What?"

"That's the answer to your question. Yes, I have been in love." 

"I so knew you were human underneath all that tweed. Details, man, details!"

"Cordelia..."

"Okay, okay, I'm backing off. This is me, backing off." She paused. "I wonder what you'd look like in regular-people clothing..."

"Cordelia!"

"That's my name."

"Is there a point to this?" 

"Naturally."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"There's about a snowball's chance in hell of that happening." She replied cheerily. "Anyway, Genevieve wanted to come over and visit her 'Uncle Rupert', so I thought I'd ring and see if you would mind having her visit for a while, and then I thought of something and I asked you and got waaay off track."

"So you did." 

"Yeah. So I did or whatever. Screw it. That whole line of questioning? Never happened. Would you mind if I brought Gen over for a while?"

"No, I wouldn't mind at all." Giles sighed, admitting defeat. Trying to keep up with Cordelia was not something he felt like attempting this afternoon. It was quarter past four, and he was winding down before he had to go 'Watcher-Mode' for Buffy.

"Brilliant. Now a good time?"

"Yes, all right."

"'Kay, see you in a few." 

With that, she hung up, and Giles was left with the feeling that he'd missed a very important part of that conversation.

"I don't get why you're not married with kids of your own. I mean...was your dad a Watcher?" 

Cordelia hadn't dropped the subject of Giles and relationships, much to his dismay, rather she'd approached it from several different directions so far. "Yes, yes he was." Giles sighed. Genevieve had fallen asleep on the couch, but Cordelia was finishing her coffee, and just...talking. It seemed to help her, and since she'd been under such stress, he'd let her. He was starting to regret that.

"My point exactly. He was a Watcher, and he had kids. You gotta make more Watchers somehow, right? Family trade and all that. So why aren't you married? You said you were in love. Being in love, to me, suggests that the other person loves you too. Otherwise your not in love, not really." 

"Could you possibly consider discussing something else?" 

"Nope."

"I didn't think so."

"Glad we're clear on that. So, gonna answer my question?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yup."

"It didn't work out." He said, curtly. 

"And there was nobody else in the whole wide world you'd want to marry? I find that hard to believe. It's not like you're a troll or anything, I bet if we got you out of that tweed you'd look great. So, what was it, you got your heart broke and you didn't want to risk it again?" 

"Cordelia, is there a reason you want to disect my love-life?"

"Or lack-thereof." 

"Cordelia, please."

"I'm just curious. I'll bet if Buffy asked, you'd tell her." Cordelia didn't mean to sound so spiteful, but it came out badly. She cursed inwardly. 

"I don't think--"

"That she'd ask? Neither do I. She's too busy saving the world and all that crap to care if her Watcher's happy. I just thought that you might want more from life than catering to whiny teenagers. Specifically a certain blonde slayer." 

"I am quite happy with my lot in life." Giles replied, a little stiffly, perhaps. 

"I'll bet you aren't always. Life? Pfft. You're like..." Cordelia groped for the right words, then shrugged. "Forget it. I was just being my usual annoying self." 

"You sounded remarkably thoughtful, if tactless." 

"Thanks, I think." 

"Perhaps you'd best take Genevieve home." The Watcher suggested, taking his glasses off to wipe them. 

"Yeah, guess I'd better. I know you're not a parent or anything, so calling you if I screw up with Gen's probably a stupid idea, but would you mind awfully if I did? Y'know, call you if I screw up. Seriously don't want to call Angel and say 'hey, I can't handle the kid, a little help?'."

Giles thought about it for a moment. "Yes, of course you can."

Next Day, evening.

Buffy entered Angel's apartment, expecting to find him, but it seemed he was out. There was a note on the table.

Buffy,

Cordelia, Genevieve and I are out to dinner. Family outing, Genevieve's idea. I don't know exactly when we'll be home. I wasn't sure if you'd come by or not, so Cordelia suggested I leave you this note. I'll see you tomorrow, or maybe on patrol later.

Angel.

Cordelia suggested he leave her a note, did she? Precious little Genevieve wanted to go out for a 'family outing'? Buffy fumed, tearing up the note. Everything had been shot to hell ever since that little brat turned up. 

"Did you like the food?" Cordelia asked Genevieve, a little worried that her choice of restaurant had been in error. 

"It was delicious, Mommy." Genevieve assured her. Angel gave them both encouraging smiles, and it wasn't for the first time that evening. It had been a real Get To Know You evening, and it wasn't over yet. They were in Cordelia's car, heading to Angel's apartment, with popcorn, diet coke, videos and, yes, you guessed it, frozen yoghurt. 

"Are we almost there?" Genevieve inquired from the back.

"Pulling in now," Cordelia told her cheerfully. 

When they got in the door, Buffy greeted them. Coldly. 

Cordelia resisted the urge to groan, so just acted...natural. "Hey there, Buffy. Angel, me and Genevieve'll sort out the videos and stuff." 

Buffy retreated into the kitchen, and Angel followed her, perhaps a little reluctantly. Cordelia and Genevieve were already in the living room.

"What is with you and spending all this 'quality time' with Cordelia Chase?" Buffy demanded. 

"It's what's best for Genevieve, and Cordelia is a nice person, in her way. Why can't I have friends, Buffy?"

"Female friends, no less." 

"Pot calling the kettle black. Know anyone by the name of...Xander?" 

"I wouldn't go around having kids with Xander!"

"Oh, I see. You're jealous."

"Should I be?"

There was a painful silence. 

"I thought as much." Buffy whispered harshly, moving past Angel and out of the apartment. 

After a few minutes, Cordelia entered the kitchen quietly. 

"Are you okay?"

His eyes caught hers, and held them. She looked away. 

"I'm sorry, this is probably all my fault...maybe I should just take Genev--"

"No, no, Cordelia, this isn't your fault." Angel assured her quickly, moving forward. "Let's not let this ruin Genevieve's evening too. Movies await."

She regarded him searchingly for some time, then shrugged, and headed back into the living room. Angel hesitated, and then followed her.

"...and Princess Cordy and Prince Liam lived bumpily ever after." Cordelia finished, kissing Genevieve's forehead and tucking her in. "Good night."

"Night, Mommy." Genevieve yawned, and closed her eyes.

Leaving only a dim lamp on, Cordelia left the room silently, and sighed, leaning against the door when she closed it behind her. 

Genevieve's dramatic entrance into her life had thrown everything upside down and inside out, and though she had tried to cope, inside, she wasn't succeeding so well. She shouldn't have to deal with this. She wasn't a Slayer, or a Watcher, or a souled vampire. She was just a cheerleader, for the love of god! Okay, not just a cheerleader, but still. 

"Miss Chase?" 

It was Daniel. A genuine English butler, one of her mother's flights of fancy, back when her father still indulged them. He'd been with the Chase family for as long as Cordelia could remember, and she always regarded him as a grandfather-figure. 

"I'm just thinking, Daniel." She said quietly, straightening. "Do you think you could check in on Genevieve for me every now and again tonight? I'm going out. Just...out. I'll be home soon enough." 

"Of course, Miss Chase." He nodded, ice-blue eyes soft as he watched the young lady he considered to be as family. When she was a little girl, she had been quiet, serious, often watching him with that discomforting gaze that had never failed to unsettle him. It was as though he were a book, and she were reading it. As she grew, she tried to fit the mould her parents had set for her, the perfect Chase. He'd watched as she changed, retreating within herself and becoming the epitome of everything they thought a Chase should be. It had pained him, that last time he called her CC and she'd looked at him with those dark eyes and said very politely, 'I would prefer it if you didn't call me that anymore.' 

A light tap on his arm drew him out of his reverie. "Daniel?"

"Just...thinking." He smiled at her. "Of course I will, Miss Chase. Enjoy your night."

In a surprising, uncharacteristic, and spontaneous show of affection, Cordelia hugged him, and pressed a granddaughterly kiss against his age-wrinkled pale cheek. "See you later." With that, she was on her way out of the house. 

Daniel shook his head, smiling faintly. 

"Oh, for the love of..." Cordelia, an older, more mature Cordelia, slumped against the wall of the Bronze. "This whole time travel thing, Angel? So not loving it." 

"I got that, hon. Let's go find Giles." Angels began to move towards the exit. 

"It's not like time is of the essence, Angel. We could be here from 24 hours to a week." Cordelia pointed out, reasonably. "Let's just find myself, and sort things out, and then just wait for Wesley's big portal thing to open up." 

"And myself." Angel put in. 

"Yep, you too. First stop, my place." 

"Where? Oh, you're old house."

"Right." 

"Miss Chase?" Daniel looked surprised. She'd told him she would be going out, and he'd assumed from her attitude she would be a while. It had barely been half an hour. Then he took a closer look. She looked...older, years older, but in a way...timeless? And she was wearing a completely different outfit. 

"Daniel!" Cordelia threw her arms around the elderly Englishman. The last time she'd seen him, was attending his funeral, the week before she left for L.A. 

"Oh, umm, Daniel, this is Angel, my...umm, my boyfriend, and Angel, this is Daniel, my butler." Cordelia made the hasty introductions, before heading up the stairs. Angel followed her, and Daniel just shrugged. He had learned to get used to Cordelia's whimsical nature. 

"Hi, this is Cordelia."

"So is this." 

"Excuse me?"

"It's me, you. Okay, that didn't come out right. I'm the Cordelia from the future -- or the present, depending on your perspective. Anyhoo, we're here to pick up Genevieve. Unfortunately, we're not actually sure when exactly we'll all get home, so at the moment me, my Angel, and Genevieve are at Giles's place. I picked her up from...our house? Can you get here soon?"

"Sure, sure. This is truly bizarre."

"Can't argue with you there. Oh, and can you get Angel? The Angel of this time, I mean. Thanks." 

a/n: to make things easier, future Cordelia will be referred to as Cordy, while the past Cordelia is just Cordelia. 

Cordy hung up the phone after they said their polite goodbyes. 

"Your Uncle Spike and Aunt Niamh say hi, Genevieve." Cordy told her daughter, who was curled up in her lap. "So do everybody else. We were really worried about you."

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I promise I won't ever peek again." Genevieve vowed. 

In the kitchen, Angel (of the future) was talking to Giles. "Wesley assures me it's fine to say anything about the future, as we've got a memory spell to wipe this entire episode out of your memories. Is there anything you'd like to know?" 

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose, really?"

"I suppose, but aren't you curious?"

"I am, rather."

"Live a little, as Cordy loves to say. Ask me anything."

They were interrupted by the Cordelias, Angel of the past, and Buffy. "I've got a few questions of my own..." Buffy muttered grimly. 

"Buffy, Cordelia, Cordelia, my past self..." Angel smiled, before moving to Cordy's side, putting one arm around her waist. 

Buffy glared. Cordelia...Cordelia looked at a loss, and Angel? He just looked confused.

Giles sighed. It was going to be a long night. Week. Month. Whatever. 

***

Author's Note:

I get the feeling this story isn't going to have half as many chapters as most of mine, but still, it seems to be doing okay. Hope y'all like it. 

~ Your Devoted Author


	4. Double Trouble

[Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, anything created by Joss Whedon]

Author's Note:

Well...no note to speak of today. Hohumliness. 

Surprise!

Chapter Four: Double Trouble

by Adele Elisabeth

Cordy had taken herself, Buffy, and the past-Angel back into the living room (Genevieve was asleep upstairs), while Giles and future-Angel spoke in the kitchen.

"Buffy, I want to get one thing straight between us before I say anything else." Cordy began, eyeing the blonde. "I didn't set out to steal Angel. I didn't steal him, actually. You and he had been apart for quite some time. We were friends for ages before we were anything else, as well."

"So, what? Our relationship is doomed to failure?" Buffy sniped.

"Hey, if the shoe fits..." Cordy couldn't help herself. She was only human, after all.

Cordelia smirked. 

Angel sighed. "Was there something you wanted to say to us, Mrs--"

"Ms." 

"Ms Liam. What did you want to talk about?" Angel finished. 

"Firstly? Thanks for taking care of Gen. I know she must have came as a shock to all of you. Secondly, please don't call me Ms Liam, it seems a bit formal. Spike still calls me 'Cheerleader', although sometimes he calls me Grandma. Weird sense of humor." She shrugged. "I'm trying to convince Drusilla to stop calling me princess at the moment."

"I haven't quite gotten the long or the short of Spike and Drusilla being part of your lives. They're--"

"Evil? Not anymore. But they're not a couple now -- it's not Spike and Drusilla, it's Spike and Drusilla." 

"Wha?" That was from Buffy. 

"Pfft. Drusilla's with Wesley--"

Cordelia and Buffy cracked up. Cordy ignored them. 

"--and Spike's with Niamh." 

"But Niamh's--" 

"Not anymore, Angel. Get with the program. Well, anyhow, I am here to answer all your questions about the future." Cordy grinned. "So shoot." 

"Does Giles really get a life?" Trust Cordelia.

"Swear on mine. Gen and Owen love Anya." 

"Are we...are we happy?" Angel looked up at the dark-haired seer, who paused.

"Me and you? The other you, anyway." 

"Yeah."

"You have to ask? We've been married for five years and we are blissfully happy. I couldn't honestly say otherwise. Little Miss Timeless's always going on about PDA, but we just can't help it." Cordy smiled faintly. "If anyone had told me this say, seven, eight years ago? Would have laughed in their faces." 

"Little Miss Timeless?"

"Dawn Summers, the Key. Formerly a mystical ball of energy, now gorgeous younger sister of Buffy Summers. She hasn't aged since sixteen because of how she's all mystical energy and crap. Not that I can talk -- the PTB are keeping me young and gorgeous so I can live to fight another day. Apparently they don't want their Warriors etc dying of old age, so us white hat's have all the perks of being vampires -- the whole no aging stuff mostly -- but none of the bad bits -- allergy to sunlight, bumpy bits, that sort of thing." 

"I have a sister?" Buffy quizzed, intrigued despite herself. 

"Sure. Some evil hell goddess wanted to unlock the realities or something and Dawnie's the key. Only she never used to be human, she used to be just what I said before -- a mystical ball of energy. She was sent to the slayer in the form of a sister -- fake memories and everything so you wouldn't know -- so that she could be protected. Giles thinks that if she were the next slayer, combined with her Key power, she'd be almost unstoppable. We're not allowed to kill you and find out, though." 

"I should think not." Buffy snorted. "Does she have any magical powers?" 

"Not as yet, but Giles and Anya and Willow are running tests. Though she has mastered a few simple skills -- moving crap with her mind, telepathy, bending spoons and all that. She staked a vamp with that psychokenesis thingie. It was cool." 

Angel looked at the three women in the room, with a faint -- and slightly confused -- sigh. Cordelia and Cordelia and Buffy. If he thought he'd been confused before...well, he hadn't even seen confused...

Angel entered the living room with Giles, and made his way quietly to stand behind his wife. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, and then blew on the back of her ear. Cordy giggled. 

"Angel, I think we're scaring the natives." She gestured to Buffy, Angel, Cordelia and Giles. "Quit that."

"But you're so pretty when you giggle." Angel mock-objected.

"Hey! I'll have you know I am pretty all the time! More than pretty! Drop dead gorgeous!"

"I wouldn't go saying things like that in Sunnydale." 

"Hmmm, you may have a point there. But we're waaaaay off track." Cordy beamed at everybody. "Me and my Angel are taking Genevieve and Cordelia out to have some fun in the sun, and then we'll pick up Buffy's Angel this evening, drop Gen off at home and I fully intend to drag the three of them off to the Bronze." 

"Is that such a good idea? Letting other people see you all together?" Giles interrupted.

"We've decided to say that the Angels are twins -- Angel and Liam, my Angel'll introduce himself as Liam if anyone asks -- and that I'm my own cousin, Cordy. And there's bound to be a couple of drunks who'll just think they're seeing double." Cordy shrugged. She seemed to have everything all worked out. 

Giles gave up on arguing, but Buffy wasn't done yet. 

"What about me?"

Cordelia fixed her with a disdainful look. "What about you?" 

Cordy cut in before Buffy could say what was so obviously on her lips, "Buffy, this is a family thing. Hello, can you say, fifth wheel? I never really got to know Angel when he was still all in love with you, I didn't know him then. Sure, he was eye-candy, always has been, but you know very well I didn't exactly make conversation." She flashed Angel-of-the-past a faintly impish grin. "I want to rectify the situation. And it'll interesting to see how I get on with an Angel I don't have wrapped around my little finger." 

Buffy glared at both Cordelias, but -especially- Cordy. "I know what you're trying to do--"

Cordy cut her off again, fixing her with a glare that rivalled any Buffy had seen. "No, you don't. I'm -trying- to make the best of a bad situation. I'm -trying- to get to know somebody, and show somebody else something they really need to see right now. I'm -trying- to ignore the fact that the current slayer is a spoiled little brat who thinks the world revolves around her. And right now, I'm -stunned-, truly -stunned- that the world is still here, if you're all that's protecting it." And with that, Cordelia Liam stormed out of the room, followed quickly by her husband, who -- to nobody's surprise but Buffy's -- glared at aforementioned slayer on his way out. 

"Cordelia?" Angel asked tentatively, looking down at his dark-haired wife. "Cordy?"

"I'm fine," she answered the unspoken question she'd heard in his tone. "Really. It just made me mad that she could think I was going to try and set our younger selves up or something. Did the fact that they're not going to remember one second of this completely escape her?"

"I get the feeling you're changing the rules of the game, Cordy." Angel tilted his head. 

"Maybe."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Of course." She smiled. "I'm not going to forget."

"What?"

"You heard me. I'll discuss it with my younger self first, but...I'm not going to forget. I won't change the future because I'll never mention my memory, but I don't want to forget."

"Why?"

"Haven't you seen the way the younger me looks? She's happy. She's got something to look forward to. She's not in a very happy place right now, Angel, but we're giving her hope. I don't want to take that away."

Angel nodded, pulling her into his arms. "It's a good idea, Cordy." 

"Of course it is. I thought of it." 

Angel laughed. 

"You think I -- we -- should keep the memories?" Cordelia asked, slowly. 

Her older self nodded. "I think it could be a good thing for...us." 

"None of them will remember any of this, except for...me?" 

"That's right."

"So I can't talk to them about it?" 

Cordy deflated a little. "Well...you could, if you wanted to."

"They probably wouldn't believe me, though?"

"Giles might."

"Giles is kind of nice." Cordelia had a faint smile on her face that Cordy recognized, with something akin to dread rising in her stomach. 

"You've got a crush on Giles!"

"I do not!" 

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"You so do. But if you ever like...acted on that, wouldn't that change the future?" This idea didn't sit too well with Cordy. "And I don't remember having a crush on Giles." 

"But if it changed the future...maybe it would be like, an alternative future?" Cordelia suggested. "So, in one line, you and Angel, but in another line, me and...Giles." 

"I cannot believe we are discussing this." 

"We could always go ask a witch or something." 

"I wish we had Will here. She'd know, I bet."

"Giles might know."

"Aww, you just want to ogle him some more." 

"Shut up!"

"Cordelia and Giles, up a tree," Cordy sing-songed, grinning. She was silenced by a pillow to the face. "Hey! This means war, cheerleader!"

"Bring it on, seer!"

"Alternate futures and pasts?" Giles looked skeptical. 

"No, think about it." Cordy persisted. "My wish, where there was no more Buffy? That was a different present. And there was Evil Vampy Willow. She wasn't from this reality. So maybe...maybe me and Angel aren't from your future, maybe we're from a future." 

"Why are we discussing this, again?" Giles still wasn't clear on that. 

Cordelia and Cordy exchanged a look, and coughed. 

"Pardon?" 

"Umm...it's just a thought we had." Cordelia mumbled. 

"Well, this explains the Wesley thing." Cordy announced. 

"What?" Cordelia looked up. 

"Wesley's like a younger, dorkier Giles. No wonder I liked him, if I liked Giles." 

"Except we're clear on the idea that you're not really me. Sort of." 

"Sort of." Cordy agreed. "Cool. Gonna ask Giles to the prom?"

"Are you insane? It's not like he'd like me anyway. Hello, student/librarian relationship? I don't think so. And he's too proper to fall for someone like...half his age?" 

"Have you tried to see if maybe he might be interested?" 

"Not exactly..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"I may have gotten more than a little preoccupied with a certain line of questioning."

"Such as?"

"I wanted to know if he'd ever been in love, and why he wasn't married and all that." 

"I was talking to Angel earlier. He says Giles thought that you were asking that because I told you about him and Anya."

"Really? I didn't even think about that." 

"Cordelia Chase has fallen for a librarian. Sign Number One of Impending Apocalypse Number...oops, we lost count..."

Giles looked at Angel (of the future), with a slightly confused look on his face. "Would you happen to know why the Cordelias are convinced that you are from a seperate reality or some such?"

Actually, he did. Cordy told him all about it because she thought it was so cute. "I might, at that."

"Are you going to tell me? I've got a feeling it's more than just idle curiosity." 

"This one, I think you're going to have to find out for yourself, Rupert." 

Giles gave a long-suffering sigh, and Angel grinned. "In any case, I'm going to be late for our big day out." 

"Have...fun."

"Something like that."

The Next Day (because I'm too lazy to write about their day out and all that)

"Cordelia?" 

Cordelia looked up, to see the slightly concerned face of Willow Rosenburg. "Are you okay? You just look a little bit...sad?" 

Cordelia thought fast. How much could she really trust Willow? She had kissed Xander. But Cordelia knew all along something like that would end up happening. She'd always been second in Xander's affections, and she knew it. Willow was trustworthy. "It's sort of...well, it's kind of complicated. I'm not sad, exactly."

"Wanna talk about it?" Willow sat down next to her. It was after school, and they were (as usual) in the library. Xander and Buffy had to clean toilets (just for a little bit), and Giles was in his office, doing Watcherly things. Cordy, her Angel, and Genevieve, had elected to stay home for the day. 

"Only if you swear you'll never tell a soul." 

Willow thought about it, and then nodded.

"Well...it's all kind of complicated, but there's one thing. It's kind of stupid, I know, but true. If people thought me and Xander was bad, this would kill me popularity-wise." 

"What is it?" 

"Well...I kinda maybe have a majorly serious crush on..." Cordelia looked quickly around to see if anyone was in earshot, then leaned over and whispered in Willow's ear, "Giles." 

Willow sat in stunned silence. 

"I know," Cordelia moaned. "Why did you think I would be interested in Wesley? He's like a younger, dorkier Giles." 

"I guess it does make sense." Willow nodded, slowly. 

"Well, I figured Giles was out of my reach. Y'know, him being all proper Englishman and all that? Going out with a girl like, half his age -- doesn't sound too proper to me. Not like Americans. Daddy's got pals who hit on me all the time. In front of their wives, often as not." Cordelia snorted. "Not the kind of world I want to live in, y'know? I know I whine a lot, and am totally unhelpful, but this is an escape. A weird kind of escape, but the more time I spend with you people, the less time I have to spend with the sheep--"

Willow couldn't restrain a faint giggle at the idea of Cordelia calling her Cordettes sheep. Cordelia smiled too. "--and my parents. I'm just another toy. You people don't treat me like that. Granted, you don't treat me that great, but fair's fair. I don't treat you that great either." 

"So...you like Giles."

"Yeah. I do. A whole lot." 

"If it were any other guy, I'd say go for it."

"Even Snyder?" 

There was a pause as the wrongness of that statement hit them, and they collapsed into helpless giggles, leaning on each other in their giggle-fit. 

And this was how Giles found them. 

He coughed politely. 

Cordelia was the first to look up. "Oh...ummm...sorry to disturb the whole library silence thing. We just had some weird visuals." 

"Sick visuals." Willow nodded her head vigorously. "It was so very, very wrong." 

"What's so very, very wrong, Willster?" Xander interrupted, coming in. "Me cleaning toilets is wrong."

"The idea of Cordelia wanting to--" 

Cordelia clapped a hand over Willow's mouth. No need to have Xander cracking jokes about her and Snyder. Eurgh. "Nothing, Xander, no biggie."

Understanding dawned in Willow's eyes as Cordelia let her go. "Yup. Nothing. Not a single thing."

"Nada." Cordelia put in helpfully.

"Zip."

"Zilch."

"Zero--"

"Okay, okay," Xander put his hands up in mock-surrender. "Enough, already. Hey -- since when are you and Cordelia Chase hangin' out and being all buddy-buddy?"

"Since...a while." Willow shrugged.

"Since we decided to hang out. Problem?" Cordelia arched one perfect brow. 

Xander wondered if he should risk Cordelia's wrath, or try and see the side of her she was evidently showing others. "Nah, no problemo, Queen C. I am but your humble slave." He said this attempting to sound like a noble knight. 

Amused by this turn of events, Cordelia held out a hand regally. "Well spoken, jester."

Playing along, Xander kissed her knuckles.

Giles chose now to interrupt. It was all getting a little too weird for him. "Ahem, if I may?"

Cordelia grinned impishly, and reclined in a queenly pose in her chair. "You may." She, Willow and Xander snickered lightly. 

Giles rolled his eyes. "Ah--here comes Buffy," he glanced towards the door as Buffy came bounding through it. 

"What'd I miss? And would it be so wrong to stake Principal Snyder?" 

"You missed the weirdest of the weird, Queen C has defected to the dork side--"

"I'm laughing on the inside, Xander." 

"--and we are her humble slaves." 

"Hey! I'm a lady-in-waiting, I'll have you know." Willow objected. 

"Yep. You're the slave, jester-boy. Where's your bells?" Cordelia prodded him with her toe. She'd taken off her sandals earlier, just because. 

Buffy looked at Giles, confusion clear on her face.

Giles gave her a 'I Think They've Finally Cracked' look, and she shrugged. 

"Buffy," he started, "I don't think you should stake your principal, and these three...well, I think it's wisest if we just let them be." 

"I think we've been insulted, your Majesty." Xander said gravely. 

Willow nodded solemnly. "I think we have."

"Well, Lady Willow, Jester, shall we withdraw to plot revenge, or just sit here and mock them some?" Cordelia feigned deep thought. 

Willow and Xander did the same. "Mocking sounds good to me." Xander offered.

"Me too." Willow nodded. 

"Good enough for me." Cordelia grinned. This was way more fun than ordering around sheep--oops, hanging out with her 'friends'. 

Willow and Xander looked as though they were having a good time, too. Cordelia was more fun than they'd given her credit for. 

Buffy and Giles still looked baffled, though. 

Giles blinked, and shrugged. "As I was going to say before...Her Majesty here decided to play merry hell with the conversation--"

"You're quite welcome, peasant." Cordelia smiled pleasantly. 

"--I was talking to the Liams, and they're not sure when they'll be going back to their...time." 

"I'm going to miss them." Cordelia tilted her head, a wistful expression on her face. "The other me, Cordy, she's really nice." 

"The new you is pretty okay, too," Xander told her. "Y'know, the one who jokes with me and Wills to play with Giles and Buffy's poor widdle minds." 

"This is getting waaaaaay off subject." Buffy informed them.

"Since there's no sign of big bads around, do we even have a subject?" Cordelia inquired.

"I second that. Let's go get ice-cream!" Xander looked around hopefully. 

"Sugar!" Willow did the puppy-dog eyes. 

Cordelia gave an attractive pout. "My BQ is dangerously low. I need to be refueled with frozen yoghurt." 

"BQ?" Giles raised an eyebrow.

"Like IQ, but bitchy." Cordelia put on her best perky, peppy, I Might Burst Into A Cheerleading Routine Any Minute Now voice. 

"Ah." Giles regretted asking. 

"Okay, no more frozen yoghurt for Cordy." Xander decided aloud, and got thumped. "Owww."

"Don't stand between a queen and her frozen yoghurt, mister." 

"Aye, aye, Cap'n Cordy." 

It was nice to see Cordelia and Xander back to bantering, and even nicer now that it was friendly banter, and not the nasty kind of banter. Willow smiled. Oddly enough, all was right with the world. 

Buffy? Still reeling from the whole 'Cordelia is human, after all' thing. 

And Giles? Trying to ignore the little glances he knew he was getting from Cordelia, and wondering what the hell was behind them. 

***

Author's Note:

Okay...well, this whole chapter has been a bit strange. I don't know where I'm going with this. Next chapter, Angel, Cordy, and Genevieve will probably go home, there will be some present time scenes, and we'll get the inside scoop on Cordelia and...Giles?

Cordelia: Before you say a word, this was completely her idea. I allowed it under protest.

Author: Hah!

Cordelia: [pointedly ignores Adele]

Giles: Somebody save me...

Cordelia: Should I be offended?

Giles: [hurriedly clarifies] From the insane author.

Cordelia: That's all right then. 

Angel: [is glaring at Giles, who is edging towards the door, glancing nervously at aforementioned vampire]

Wesley: A younger, dorkier Giles? [offended]

All (except Giles): Yes.

Giles: ...?

Cordelia: Gimme a K, gimme a I, gimme a L L A, gimme a D, gimme a E L E, what're we gonna do?

All: Kill Adele!

Author: [running for her life]

Review nicely and maybe they'll let me live...eeep!


	5. Giles Gets A Surprise Of His Own

[Disclaimer: I do not own anything Joss created.]

Author's Note:

The less than positive reaction to C/G was expected, but couldn't at least one person comment on the story, instead of one of the pairings? I read stories that aren't anti-Buffy, and I can even read Buffy/Spike [automatic shudder], though only if there's a pairing I do like in the story. So all the people who don't like C/G, can't you read it anyway, because there's still plenty of C/A!!!!

Forewarned is forearmed, so here goes:

In this chapter, there will probably be a distinctly C/G scene. Or a few. (Don't worry, there'll be plenty of C/A fluff to keep y'all happy).

Also, you may note I'm easing up on the BuffyBashing. My (few) fans, do not fear, I still hate Buffy, it's just easier to write if I give in a little. Don't worry, I said easing up, I didn't say getting rid of. 

Surprise!

Chapter Five: Giles Gets A Surprise Of His Own

by Adele Elisabeth

Angel rested his head on his wife's shoulder, and shifted underneath the light blankets. "Cordy? You awake?"

"No." She muttered into the pillow. "Sleepin'. Go 'way."

"Cordy..."

"Sleepin'," she repeated insistently. "G'way."

"Wake up, Cordy..."

"Don' wanna." 

"Cordelia," Angel whispered urgently, "Vampires!"

She sat bolt upright, stake (from under her pillow) in one hand. Then, looking around, she thumped Angel. 

"Oww!"

"Tangle with Queen C, fear her wrath. Even Xander knows that."

"Hey, I resent that."

"Resent away, Sir Broodsalot. Now you know better than to wake me up too early."

"I love you..."

"Now you're just pathetic."

"But you love me anyway."

"Maybe...Giles is looking pretty appealing lately, with that oh-so-sexy accent..." 

Giles. Sexy. Sexy. Giles. Not words Angel would commonly associate with each other. He shuddered. "Thank you for that lovely image, Cordy."

"You're welcome. Speaking of accents, how come you don't have one?" she queried, settling back into his arms. "I mean, you are Irish and everything..."

"I suppose it just...went away. All the time I spent in America." 

"So, you just mislaid it somewhere on the way to Sunnyhell?"

"Something like that."

"Bi-zarre."

"Amen to that."

Cordelia was lost in one of her favorite fantasies, and so almost didn't notice when Giles walked into the library. She'd been leaning on the bookshelf, chatting with Willow -- well, she had been chatting with Willow, but then Willow had to go to the bathroom, leaving her alone. 

Giles had one thought on his mind at present. 

Good lord, is a skirt that short really legal? It's damn near indecent exposure!

Cordelia wore a very fetching dark blue sleeveless turtleneck, a short (as Giles mentioned, very short) white skirt, white sandals with bulky heels, and a white cardigan was tied loosely around her waist (purely for show, Cordelia didn't think she'd ever actually worn the thing). "Hi, Giles." She greeted him brightly. Almost...flirty? "Willow was here a second ago, but she had to go to the bathroom--"

Ever tactful, Miss Chase...

"--but I'm sure she'll be back in a minute. Buffy's trying to help Xander out of a tree."

"...tree? Do I want to know?" Giles asked, pretty sure he didn't.

Cordelia thought about it. "Somehow, I'm thinking no."

"Ah. I won't ask."

"Good idea." Cordelia fell silent. She looked thoughtful, though, and Giles found himself wondering what it was she was thinking about. It was better than speculating on whether or not her skirt was legal. 

Before Giles could think of anything to say, Cordelia was speaking again. "Thanks for...y'know, talking to me and being a help when Cordy and the other Angel weren't here and I had Gen."

Giles looked slightly surprised at her thanks, but he nodded. "You're quite welcome. It was no trouble at all."

"Well, thanks anyhow. It meant a lot." 

Was it just him, or was Cordelia giving him That Look? The look she used to have when she looked at Xander, once upon a time, when she thought nobody was looking at her. "Cordelia?"

"Mmmm?" she snapped out of whatever daze it was she had been in. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"Like what?" Cordelia asked, guiltily. Damn. She didn't mean to, honest...

"Like..." Giles hesitated. How was he supposed to put it? 'Well, Cordelia, you were looking at me like you'd like to kiss me senseless and curl up in my arms, possibly in front of a fire place' somehow didn't sound appropriate. 'Like I'm something very precious to you'? Well, it wasn't that much better, but it would have to do. "Like I'm something very precious to you."

Was it just him, or did Cordelia's guilty look increase twofold? And possibly become slightly...defiant?

"So what if I was?" 

Of all the things she could have said, that was the last thing Giles had been expecting. Laughter was a possibility. Flat denial, and a convincing one. Or maybe just shock that he could suggest such a thing. 

But this?

No, this did not make sense at all. Not in the least.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said, so what if I was? Maybe you are precious to me." Cordelia was dimly aware of alarm bells going off in her head, sirens shrieking and the sort of hubbub you got from a really big, pissed off natural disaster (such as Buffy, minus the really big part).

"I...I...I...you..." Giles spluttered, backing into a table. 

"Careful," Cordelia scolded. "Demons want to hurt you and stuff. Don't need you hurting yourself."

Definitely the same old Cordelia Chase. No! Can't be same old Cordelia. She's got to be...possessed. Yes. That's right. Possessed.

Funny how sometimes even your thoughts sounded like pathetic lies one made up to make oneself feel more at ease with the situation. 

"You can't possibly mean that." He managed finally. "It's just..."

"Improper?" Cordelia suggested. "I'm not saying I want to have sex with you in the middle of the library. That? That would be 'improper'."

"What exactly are you saying?" No, don't ask that! Oh god, too late...

"I'm saying that...well, I know I can't claim to be one of your close friends, or anything, but I'd really like a chance to get to know you better." A lot better, she thought, but didn't say it. 

"Cordelia you are--"

"Old enough to make my own decisions. Hell, my father's colleagues hit on me all the time. In front of their wives, no less. And if Daddy's little girl sleeping with someone will get him ahead, why the hell not?" she sounded a bit bitter about that. She'd never agreed to it, of course, much to her father's disappointment. "So it's not like my father would have any right to come pounding on your door if you dated me. Please? Just let's try, at least." Sheer willpower was carrying her through this, now. In the past few days, she'd grown closer to both Buffy and Willow, close enough to count them both close friends. Even Xander...anyway, they both knew of her feelings for the Watcher, and Buffy had blurted out, 'At least it's not Angel', which made them all laugh. Point was, both of them thought she should do something, that way at least she'd never look back and wonder 'what if...'

Giles half-sat, half-fell, into a seat. "I need a drink..." He mumbled. 

"Please?" Cordelia asked again, and when he didn't answer, she sighed, and went to leave the library. 

"Wait," 

Cordelia stopped, and turned, slowly. "Waiting."

"Yes. All right." Giles knew full well how old she was, and what a mistake this could end up being, the mess it could turn into...but somehow, hell, why not? Besides, give her a chance to see what a mistake it is, and then she'll decide for herself that it's a bad idea. Right. That was why he said yes. That's the only reason. One and only. 

He ignored the little voice in the back of his mind that was telling him how he'd feel if she changed her mind, and the fact that Cordelia had a smile on her face that suggested all her Christmases had just come. 

"Oh. My. God."

That about summed up what the three other girls (women?) were thinking. Not surprisingly, it was said by Cordy.

Buffy and Willow nodded the afirmative.

"Cordelia Chase and Giles." Buffy looked awed. "My Giles. Dating Cordelia Chase."

"My Giles." Cordelia corrected. "Soon to be, anyway." 

"Yeah..." Buffy nodded, after a pause.

"This is slightly bizarre for me," Cordy put in, "But oddly enough, I find myself happy for...myself."

That broke the tension, and they all laughed. 

"Are you going anywhere special?" Willow asked, interested. Can you really blame her?

"No, no place special. We're just going to have dinner at his apartment, and see what happens. Which reminds me, Buffy? You're not knocking on that door for anything short of the apocalypse, or a life or death situation. Ya got me?"

"To quote Xander, aye, aye, Cap'n Cordy." Buffy grinned. 

"Great." Cordelia relaxed. They were in Cordelia's room, and it was late. Buffy had been patrolling, and they'd all come back to Cordelia's for cocoa and girly time. Seated in a circle, ranging from crosslegged to lounging, resting on knees to resting on tummies. 

"Are you sure about this?" Cordy looked at her...other self, and tilted her head. "He is a lot older than you." 

"I know. I just want to give this a chance, see if anything might be able to come of it." Cordelia shrugged helplessly. 

"Okay." Cordy smiled, in as reassuring a manner as she could. "I just wanted to be sure you were sure."

"What're you going to wear?" 

"Buffy, asking me about fashion. Not entirely surprising."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. Force of habit."

"Okay, okay. But still. What're you going to wear?"

"Something simple. Nothing too dressy. It's just a quiet evening in, after all. I've got this black sleeveless turtleneck, and some baggy silky grey trousers I was thinking about wearing. And with my hair just out." 

"Sounds really nice." Willow put in, shyly. Cordelia had completely revamped Willow's wardrobe when she took her shopping, going so far as to help Willow go through her clothes and throw out anything that just didn't work. Now, Willow was no fashion expert, but Cordelia was helping her out, and she gave everything a bit of a...twist, that made it uniquely Wills. So Cordelia valued her opinion.

"I think so." Cordelia nodded, glad they'd come back to her place. She'd been half-afraid they'd turn down the offer. The moral support, that little boost...she'd never gotten that before, from anyone. She hadn't been their friend that long, but she'd been sort of...drawn into the circle. She was one of them, now, and they looked out for their own, they really cared. It was new, and it was nice.

Queen C had crossed over to the Dork Side.

And she found she rather liked it there.

Angel and Angel stood facing each other. They looked identical, perfectly. 

Except...

AlternateAngel had a more relaxed posture, and his general air was one of calm, abiding wellness. Someone dependable. Someone trustworthy. Someone you just knew was in love, just by the way he smiled just at his thoughts, and you could tell by that very smile that he was thinking about his lady love.

But Angel of this reality?

He looked tensed, coiled like a spring, permanently in fight-or-flight-mode. Maybe he was in love, but it didn't show. All anyone passing by could see was that he was a tall, dark, mysterious stranger, the sort you didn't want to get tangled up with, because he had this...aura, about him...of...it was hard to describe. 

Needless to say, it was very easy to tell them apart, if you knew them.

"You're not my future after all?" Angel sounded...a mixture of things. Disappointed, perhaps. This raised his double's eyebrow. He hadn't gotten the impression his other self was all for life with Cordelia Chase.

"No, it seems not. I'm a possible future. I'm changing things just by being here, and Cordelia was already, as my Cordy so delightfully puts it, 'hot for Tweed-Man', which suggests things have already changed here. Why? You sound almost disappointed." 

"'Hot for Tweed-Man'?" Angel echoed. 

"Cordy puts an interesting spin on things. And you're evading the question. Don't underestimate yourself. I know me better than that." 

Angel couldn't help but be vaguely amused by the other him's turn of phrase. "Well...you and Cordy, you're so happy. So...settled. A family. You can be on opposite sides of the room, not even looking at each other, but there's this...connection. You belong together. Anyone around you can feel it." He shifted uncomfortably. "You seem so intimate at times it's a bit embarrassing to be around you. Get the feeling I'm intruding on something really personal. You've got a great thing going on, aren't I allowed to be a bit disappointed I don't get that?" 

"What about Buffy?" 

"We both know that can't work out. Vampire, slayer? I love her, with all my soul, I love her, but..."

"You're a vampire, and she's the Slayer." 

"Yeah."

"Know the feeling. Intimately, as it were."

They laughed, and a little of the tension slipped away.

"Cordelia's off on her date with Giles." Angel told his not-his-future-self. 

"How do you know?"

Angel looked sheepish.

"You went Stalker-Mode, didn't you?" Angel's eyes danced with merriment. Stalker-Mode was Cordy-Speak for what he did when he was worried about her and didn't want her to know he was following (at a safe distance). 

Angel had been around Cordy for just long enough to start to translate some Cordy-Speak himself. "Yeah, I did."

"Why'd you do that?"

"I love Buffy, but Cordelia's my friend now. I was watching out for her. Turned out I didn't need to. Bumped into Buffy -- doing the exact same thing."

"Really? Will wonders never cease?"

"Looks like."

The two men (one souled vampire and one ex-vampire) grinned at each other, and even more of that oh-so-annoying tension slip-slid away...

Dinner was nice. They had simple pasta and salad, Cordelia on salad-duty and Giles making the pasta. He helped her make the salad, giving her tips and occasionally looking over when she asked him a question. He always managed to brush against her when he did, which she was only half-sure was by accident, but was she complaining? Hell, no.

Anyway, it was now about nine o'clock, and they were in the living room, with a half-empty bottle of red wine (courtesy of Kathryn Chase's private stash).

"I don't hate to say it, so, I told you so." Cordelia smiled lazily at Giles. She lounged on his sofa, he sat comfortably at the other end, but her now-bare feet were resting against his leg. He didn't seem to mind.

"So you did." Giles smiled back at the beautiful young woman on his sofa. Beautiful young woman who was very much interested in him. That in itself was somewhat shocking. "I bow to your superior wit."

"As you should." She lifted her glass. "To the future."

Now, in any normal situation, future-talk would be far too early, and Giles would be edging to the other end of the sofa. But, all things considered, it was a very apt toast. "To the future."

Their glasses clinked together, and they both drank.

"So, Tweed-Man, are we officially seeing each other, or are we in the tentative baby-steps let's-just-see-how-the-next-date-goes stage?" 

"I'd be more likely to answer if you promise not to call me Tweed-Man anymore." 

"I promise. But we've got to get you into regular people clothing. And what's with all the shirts buttoned up all the way? Leave at least the top button undone, pretty please? And don't think I didn't notice that whole question-evade-y thing you've got going on."

"Curses, foiled again." 

"That was so a cartoon line, Rupert." Sometime during the night, Giles had asked her to call him Rupert. After all, not many women called their date by his last name. He found he rather liked the way she said it. 

"Maybe it was." Giles smirked. "I'm not completely unscathed when it comes to those awful creations."

"You're so cute when you're being all pompous and British."

"Hey!"

"What?" her eyes widened with completely feigned innocence. "Something I said?" 

"Nevermind." Giles chuckled. 

"So, going to answer my question?" 

"I was hoping you'd forgotten it." 

"No such luck."

"All right...yes, I would like for us to be...seeing each other." There was a little hesitation to begin with, but all this evening had proved was that they suited each other, oddly enough. Opposites attract and all that. They...fit. 

"In that case," and in one smooth movement Cordelia was very nearly in Giles lap and was very definitely kissing him. 

It might fall apart, create yet another mess to deal with, be nothing but trouble...

But for the moment, all Giles was thinking about was the beautiful young woman in his arms. 

Cordelia.

His Cordelia.

"Cordy," Angel called, walking into their bedroom. "Where're you?"

"Bathroom. Bubble-spa-bath. Very nice." Cordy called back, from the bathroom, and Angel heard the tell-tale noises of water moving and splashes. "Finished with Genevieve's bedtime story?"

"Yes," he walked over to stand in the doorway, watching her. "I got the impression she'd rather hear Daniel's version. Must have been bonding, all that time they're spending together." 

"Seen the way his eyes light up when she calls him Grandpa? It's so sweet." Cordy stretched languidly. "Daniel never had any children of his own, but I was like his little girl. I have some great memories because of my Daniel. Now Genevieve can have some, too. And he gets a granddaughter in the bargain."

"What happens to Daniel?" Angel asked, suddenly. 

"What do you mean?"

"I've never met him, you've never talked about him. But you clearly love him a lot. So I figure something must have happened."

"Fair enough, and right, too. He died a few days before I decided to go to L.A. I was practically heart-broken, I think Mom was just glad it meant she didn't have to fire him. Daniel was one of the few people who was genuinely nice to my mother, no motive, just because that's the way he was. Is. Whatever. Mom was fond of him, anyway." 

"I'm sorry to hear you lost him like that."

"Didn't even stay for the funeral, typical me, huh? I didn't want to remember Daniel in a box in the ground, though. I didn't see him after he died, and I left the house before. Last I saw him, he looked fine, healthy, and happy. He gave me a present, a plain silver band with QC ingraved on it." She held up her right hand, and sure enough, there it was. Angel vaguely remembered that it was that ring she never really took off, like her wedding ring. "It's kind of like I carry him around everywhere I go. It's comforting."

"I can only imagine." 

Genevieve was sleeping. Daniel brushed a stray strand of the little girl's hair back off her face, and smiled. It was the sort of smile you saw when a grandfather looked down at his favorite grandchild. Not that any grandfather would be prepared to admit he had a favorite grandchild, but there you go. 

He walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. He could hear Cordelia coming in the door, talking on her cellphone and giggling. He decided to go down and meet her. Perhaps she'd like some cocoa before she retired.

In the darkened room, Genevieve smiled. Things were as they should be, in an odd sort of a way, and she whole-heartedly agreed with them. 

***

Author's Note:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Giles and Cordelia moved way too fast, yada, yada, yada. Think about it -- they live on the Hellmouth? Long courtships just mean more of a chance you'll die before anything happens. And Cordelia's an impulsive girl. 

I know I'm pretty sure I said that Angel, Cordy, and Genevieve would be going home in this chapter, but it turns out random plot bunnies interrupted my plans and swerved towards some C/G lovin'. And some C/A lovin'. And mention of B/A lovin'. A whole lot of lovin', anyway. 

Cordy: Could have been worse.

Wesley: I'm just glad I'm not in this story. It's getting truly bizarre.

Faith: No argument with you there, Wes. 

Angel: [sulking over the idea of His Cordelia with anyone other than Him]

All: Get -over- yourself, Angel. 

Giles: [edges away from Angel]

Reviews make writers happy. Happy writers write more. More writing equals more story. More story equals more reviews. More reviews equal happy writers. Happy writers...

See? It's all part of one big happy cycle. So, let's not break the happy circle, and give this particular writer some reviews to make her happy!


	6. Going Home

[Disclaimer: I bow humbly to Almighty Joss and pray that he does not bring to bear his enormous powers and smite me for profaning his characters with my inferior writing skills (or lack thereof)]

[Other Disclaimer: chapter title came from a song. Don't remember song-title, or artist, sorry.]

Author's Notes:

Star, Dr Dele recommends some C/A fluff treatment, and possibly chocolate. Also, I'm not killing Buffy in this fic, but I can't make any promises about 'A Different World'...[feral grin]

sibling, thank you for your nice review, nice little pick-me-up after negative reaction to C/G. Enforces my belief in the cycle of Happy Authors and Reviews, since I started writing this chapter after reading my reviews. I'll try not to drop the ball, but you never know, I've never been that great at sports. (I am, however, pretty damn good at wriggling out of sports) In the meantime, it's back to torturing those poor, poor characters some more, in the sixth chapter of 'Surprise!'.

!!!!!

Surprise!

Chapter Six: Going Home

by Adele Elisabeth

Buffy and Willow cornered Cordelia and demanded details the second she walked into the library, before school started.

"You have to tell us everything!" Buffy ordered, an air of bouncy exuberance about her. 

Willow nodded vehemently. "Absolutely. Details, details, details."

"Jeez, let me sit down first or something," Cordelia grinned at her friends, while doing just that. "Number one, he makes great pasta. Number two, he's a really great kisser."

"There was kissing! Was it friendly peck, or was there some serious lip-locking going on?" Buffy asked, eagerly. 

Giles stood at the door, just out of sight, but not out of earshot. He smiled faintly at the topic of conversation, and decided to keep on listening. 

"Definitely making with the serious lip-lock." Cordelia nodded. "Talk about daydream material." 

Willow wrinkled her nose. "Not wanting to rain on your parade, Cordy, but not really wanting to think about Giles in That Way..."

"Understandable." Cordelia nodded. "Rupert is, after all, like a father figure to you guys."

"But not to you, clearly, or this whole situation would just reek of incest." Buffy said, innocently as she could. 

"You can talk, Little Miss Necrophilia." Cordelia shot back, friendly banter style. 

"Hey!" Buffy protested, and Willow sniggered.

"Well, Angel is dead. Technically, you are a necrophiliac. I thought slayers were supposed to kill vampires, not boink them." 

"You go to far, Chase!" Buffy stood up, grabbing a ruler from her bag and holding it aloft like a sword.

"Bring it on, Summers," Cordelia raised an eyebrow, doing the same.

They began to have a mock-swordfight around the library, which was interrupted by Xander's entry. 

"Heheheh, this is like one of my fantasies, only minus the mud..." he grinned at them, which lead to a chorus of 'Xander!'s.

Giles stepped into the room, Buffy, Xander, and Cordelia sitting down. 

Everybody (except for Xander, who was 'out of the loop' on this, so only Willow and Buffy) noted the way Giles sat next to Cordelia.

Angel and Cordy entered, followed by Genevieve. Giles looked up, eyebrow raised inquisitively. 

"We're going home today." Cordy announced breathlessly. "In like, half an hour." 

"Already...?" Cordelia sounded disappointed. "We'll never get to see you again." 

"Maybe someday they'll discover cheap inter-reality travel." Cordy suggested. "Don't worry, I've got a feeling we will, and I'm a seer."

"Then I'll take your word for it." Cordelia tilted her head. "I'll -- we'll -- miss you."

"Don't be a stranger, Cordy." Xander chimed in. "And you too, Not-Dead Boy."

"Xander!" That came in various feminine tones.

"It was...interesting having you here." Buffy smiled. "Kinda enlightening."

"I'm glad you got something out of it." Angel inclined his head. Cordy nodded, too.

"It was fun, but kind of weird." Genevieve gave her two cents.

"Amen." Giles added fervently. 

"Certainly food for thought." Angel (of this reality) said, quietly. "I'll take good memories from this."

There were extended (and somewhat teary) farewells, which ended in a group hug with the girls, and Genevieve being hugged and cuddled and kissed by just about everybody (wait, Xander gave in to the cuteness, and so that makes everybody). 

Giles and Cordelia stood, him with his arm around her waist, her with her head on his shoulder. Xander gaped at them, but was shushed by Willow. Angel and Buffy stood in a similar pose. A silvery portal opened, and Giles could be seen on the other side, staring at his other self and Cordelia, gaping in a fashion similar to Mr Harris. The others around the portal (Wesley, Buffy, Willow, Tara, among others) looked much the same. 

"It's been...it's been surprisingly good." Cordy said, as she stepped through. "Don't go forgetting us."

"Like we could...!" Buffy murmured. 

"Cuddles and ice-cream to all," Genevieve cried as she went through, which they took to be a good thing. 

Angel just nodded, a faint smile on his features.

With that, the portal closed.

In...The Safe And Sound Reality In Which Our Heroes Reside

Giles just about pounced on the couple. "Dare I ask exactly what is going on between...my other self and your other self?" 

Cordy grinned at him. "But Giles, that would be telling..." Seeing his expression, she quickly added, "Oh, come on, isn't it obvious?"

"It's impossible, is what it is." Giles told her, incredulous. 

"You mean to say I'm not even the least bit attractive to you?" Cordy asked, eyes widening innocently. 

"Yes...I mean no, I mean," Giles began to stutter, looking from Angel to Cordy with a harrassed expression. 

Cordy laughed. "Don't worry about it, Giles. Trust me, they're happy, and isn't that what matters?"

He deflated somewhat. "I suppose so."

"Good. So, anyone try to end the world while we were away?" Cordy inquired brightly. 

"Subtle, Cor, really subtle." Angel chuckled.

"Aww..."

"No, no apocalypses." Buffy shook her head. 

"Really? None at all? No evil little nasty dudes with a grudge trying to open the Hellmouth?" Cordy sighed. "Demons these days."

Genevieve giggled.

And all was right with the world. 

Back In The Alternate Reality That These Fine Folks Call Life...

"Giles...Cordelia...C-c-c-cordelia....Giles..." Xander stuttered. 

Giles arm tightened around Cordelia's waist. "Is there a problem, Xander?"

"Er...no, no problem, no problem at all, if you want to -- oh, mental images, my mind, my poor defenseless mind..." Xander pretended to claw at his eyes, collapsing melodramatically into a chair. 

"Moron." Cordelia rolled her eyes. 

"So...what do we do now?" Willow asked, speaking up. This is all a bit...well, I mean...we're kind of..."

"Know what you mean, Wills." Buffy nodded. "I think we need some recovery time. Let's go vegetate in class." 

"Eurgh. Class. As if I hadn't suffered enough." Xander groaned. 

"Xand, you are such a--"

"Moron." Xander finished for Cordelia. 

"Hey, look! I've got 'im so well trained he's insulting himself!" Cordelia beamed proudly at them. 

She kissed Giles lightly on the lips (which resulted in some fairly graphic sounding gagging from Xander), and flounced out of the library, with Buffy and Willow.

Xander gave Giles a Look, and followed them.

Giles just smiled.

And all was right with the world. 

***

Author's Note: 

One more chapter to go, folks, the epilogue. It was a pretty lame ending, I know. Maybe I'll write a sequel one day. 


	7. Epilogue: History Always Repeats Itself

[Disclaimer: I do not own what Joss Whedon has created]

Author's Note:

And, 'Surprise!' draws to a close. 

I hope you'll like the ending I'm giving it, it amused me. 

Surprise!

Epilogue: History Always Repeats Itself

by Adele Elisabeth

"Anna!" Cordelia Giles cried, racing towards her daughter. 

But she was just a second too late. Annabelle toppled backwards into the portal, the demon who summoned it laughing heartily, before vanishing.

Cordelia crumpled to the ground, sobbing. Giles caught his wife in his arms, whispering comforting nothings into her ear. 

"Where is she, Rupert? Willow? That's all I want to know." Cordelia beat her fist on the table, startling those still researching Annabelle's vanishing act. "Just tell me my baby's okay."

"Cor," Giles murmured, wiping his glasses, "I want her back, too. We just can't--"

"My little girl vanished through a portal, Rupert, I don't want to hear 'can't'." Cordelia was getting nearer and nearer to hysteria. "She's just a little girl!"

"I know, Cor, I know,"

"She could be anywhere! There are hell dimensions out there, Rupert, I don't want my baby trapped in a hell dimension! She's sure as hell not likely to last that long!"

"Cordy, we have to be optimistic." Buffy told her friend reassuringly. "We'll find Anna, and she'll be fine. Right, guys?"

Xander nodded. "Right. Anna'll be a-okay. That kid has a frightening knack of coming out on top no matter what. Though, that may have a lot to do with the fact Giles has a soft-spot for puppy eyes."

"What he said, minus the crack about Giles." Willow nodded, too. 

"I'm just..." Cordelia trailed off, not sure how to say it. 

"Your daughter just went AWOL through a portal. You're allowed to be a bit...y'know. I'd be kind of confused if you weren't, really, because then what sort of a mother would you be? But you're a great mother, so it makes sense you'd be really upset, and...and now I'm babbling." Willow blushed. 

Cordelia gave a faint smile. Willow almost always managed to cheer her up, if only a little. 

Giles resisted the urge to punch a wall. 

Cordelia Liam stood staring at the little girl who'd appeared in her living room. She looked...well, she looked just like Genevieve looked at that age, which Cordelia estimated to be about five or so. She looked much like Cordelia would imagine Genevieve did when she landed on the bed of alternateCordelia, all those years ago. Frightened, uncertain, unsteady, and untidy. She saw the relief in the little girl's face as she looked up at her, latching on to the first familiar face. 

"Mommy? Where am I? I fell in the big bad demon's nasty hole. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, he moved it. Big nasty demons are bad, aren't they, Mommy? I hope Aunt Buffy kicked it's butt. Oops! I know I'm not supposed to say butt. Don't tell Daddy?" Annabelle rambled. Cordelia steadied her.

"Sweetie? What's your name?" she asked, gently. 

Confusion, again. "Mommy?"

"Humor me, babe." 

14-year-old Genevieve stared, open-mouthed, at the little girl. This seemed all very familiar...

"Anna. You know that, Mommy. Is this a game? I don't like it." 

"Humor me some more. What's your whole name?" 

"Annabelle Elizabeth Giles. Mommy...?"

"Can you say, deja vu?" Genevieve interrupted. 

"Yes, actually, honey, I can." Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "Annabelle, have you ever been told about something that happened, oh, lots of years ago, when a little girl named Genevieve Liam turned up on your mommy's bed?" 

Annabelle nodded, slowly. She didn't think she was going to like where this was going. 

"I'm her mommy." 

Annabelle fainted. 

***

Author's Note:

I left it kind of open-ended there for a reason, y'know, room for a sequel at some point. Let me know if you think I should do a sequel. If not, ah well, just means less work on my part. 

So, what did you think? Review, people, review! This was one of my favorite stories to write, and I wrote it purely for the fun of writing it, but it'd be nice to get some feedback, too. 


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